A controversial new surgical procedure for treating multiple sclerosis was the subject of a late-night debate in the House of Commons Monday, said MP Cathy McLeod.

The debate was prompted by a groundswell of MS sufferers and their families lobbying for wider acceptance of an unproven therapy so far available only in Europe.

Italian surgeon Dr. Paolo Zamboni has found promising results in treating MS patients for blockages in neck arteries with a procedure called chronic cerebralspinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI). Those afflicted with the degenerative disease have been clamouring for the procedure to be adopted in Canada.

“Certainly we’ve been hearing loud and clear we need to have a debate about where we’re going with research and moving forward,” McLeod said. “Anyone who suffers from the devastating impact of MS, if they see something promising, it looks favourable for moving research forward.”

Natasha Chisholm, manager of the Kamloops chapter of the MS Society, said her clients are anxiously awaiting new developments with the treatment.

“It’s definitely a hot topic and lots of our clients are following this quite substantially,” Chisholm said.

The society has applied for $10 million in federal research funds to investigate CCSVI in Canada, she added.